Eight-year-old Giselle Alnaser wants the Elmo stuffed toy sitting on a stool across the room, and she香蕉视频直播檚 going to use her brain waves to get it.

As her mother encourages her with calls of, 香蕉视频直播淟et香蕉视频直播檚 go, let香蕉视频直播檚 go, let香蕉视频直播檚 go!香蕉视频直播� Giselle concentrates asthe platform beneath her wheelchair appears to roll by itself toward Elmo. She smiles when she reaches the stool and an occupational therapist hands her the toy.

Giselle was diagnosed with a CAMK2b gene mutation when she was a toddler. It affects her brain香蕉视频直播檚 ability to communicate with her muscles 香蕉视频直播� meaning she can香蕉视频直播檛 walk or move her arms much 香蕉视频直播� and she香蕉视频直播檚 not able to speak.

The Brain Computer Interface program at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto develops technology that allows Giselle and dozens of other physically disabled children to use their minds to move and play.

香蕉视频直播�(These are) children who are not able to move themselves in space, (who) don香蕉视频直播檛 have reliable movement and don香蕉视频直播檛 have verbal communication or have difficulty with verbal communication. So really their only way of interacting with the environment is through their thoughts,香蕉视频直播� said Susannah Van Damme, an occupational therapist and team lead for the hospital香蕉视频直播檚 clinical BCI program.

The brain computer interface works like an on-off switch triggered by electrical patterns in the brain. While wearing a headset with EEG electrodes, the child is asked to think about something specific that will serve as a 香蕉视频直播渃ommand香蕉视频直播� thought. The child is then asked to relax and put their mind in a quiet, passive state, which serves as the 香蕉视频直播渟top香蕉视频直播� thought.

The electrodes transmit those electrical signals to a computer, where they are saved. The computer is trained through artificial intelligence to recognize those specific brain patterns when it sees them again and start or stop whatever device it香蕉视频直播檚 connected to 香蕉视频直播� such as Giselle香蕉视频直播檚 rolling wheelchair platform.

香蕉视频直播淎s long as an individual can generate activity in the brain you can kind of flick the switch and control the activity,香蕉视频直播� said Tom Chau, senior scientist and head of Holland Bloorview香蕉视频直播檚 Paediatric Rehabilitation Intelligent Systems Multidisciplinary lab.

Giselle generates a 香蕉视频直播渃ommand香蕉视频直播� thought bythinking about moving fast in her wheelchair, or focusing on the phrase 香蕉视频直播済o, go, go.香蕉视频直播�

But any thought will do. The key is for the child to concentrate on it while the computer records the electrical brain pattern it creates.

Then when the child wants to make something happen, they think the same thought again, generating the same brain pattern that the computer now recognizes.

香蕉视频直播�(When a child) sends that 香蕉视频直播済o香蕉视频直播� signal, the computer interprets that just as a command to start, to activate whatever it is that it香蕉视频直播檚 attached to,香蕉视频直播� Van Damme said.

For another activity, the team attaches the computer to a bubble maker. The same command thoughts that allow Giselle to move her wheelchair now allow her to make bubbles appear.

In agame of 香蕉视频直播渇reeze,香蕉视频直播� the computer is programmed to play music when she thinks her command thought. As the Barney dance song plays, Giselle turns the music on and off as her mom and hospital staff dance around her. When she stops the music to make them freeze in position, Giselle smiles with delight.

香蕉视频直播淪omeone who has not been able to turn on their favourite music or play a video game because of a physical disability, they can use their brain power to do that,香蕉视频直播� Van Damme said.

Giselle香蕉视频直播檚 parents, Samah Darwish and Naser Alnaser, said watching their daughter use BCI technology has been 香蕉视频直播渁mazing.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淟ike any parent, you want some independence for the kids to do their own things 香蕉视频直播� to move, to play, to learn and everything,香蕉视频直播� said Alnaser.

香蕉视频直播淭o be herself. To be a kid.香蕉视频直播�

Although BCI research has occurredin various parts of the world for decades, a Canadian network comprised of Holland Bloorview, Alberta Children香蕉视频直播檚 Hospital in Calgary and Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton has taken the lead in recent years in bringing the technology to children and youth with disabilities.

香蕉视频直播淥ne thing that we noticed as a group of clinicians who see children and their families was that although those BCI technologies are rapidly advancing, the pediatric population were really neglected,香蕉视频直播� said Dr. John Andersen, a University of Alberta associate professor of pediatrics who leads the BCI program at Glenrose.

香蕉视频直播淲e wanted to see how we can make this accessible to children and learn from them and their families to kind of co-develop how this emerging technology can be accessible in its current form and how we can develop the technology and expertise around it in the future,香蕉视频直播� said Andersen, noting that Chau at Holland Bloorview has been the trailblazer for the group.

Although the on-off switch activities help children and youth with neuromotor disabilities gain more control in their lives, the researchers say developing BCI technology to help non-verbal children communicate is the next major step 香蕉视频直播� and a priority requested by their parents.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檝e been doing research in communication for, you know, two decades now. But we香蕉视频直播檙e finally getting it to the point where you香蕉视频直播檙e going to be able to translate it,香蕉视频直播� said Chau.

The hope is that in the near future, children will be able to use BCI to convey wants and needs using their minds, he said.

香蕉视频直播�(That would) really unlock huge potential for kids who香蕉视频直播檝e been basically trapped in their own bodies,香蕉视频直播� Chau said.

香蕉视频直播淭hey have so much that they want to express. And there香蕉视频直播檚 just never been the means.香蕉视频直播�